Meet Marie Pearl, the 31-year-old senior staff accountant from Springfield, Missouri. Marie, who weighs 249 pounds, explains that she was always at odds with her weight and it’s been a lifelong struggle.

According to her official bio, “Born in Sioux City, Iowa and raised in Ash Grove, Missouri, Marie is the middle child of three daughters. Bad eating habits, combined with a lack of exercise and an inability to cope with stress, led to her lifetime weight struggles. She has been very accomplished in her professional life, earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting from Missouri State University, and she currently works as a senior staff accountant. Married for six years, she has tried unsuccessfully to conceive for the last four years, which her doctor attributes to her weight.”

Marie was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome [otherwise known as PCOS], and her motivation for being on the show is to lose weight and conceive naturally. Understandably, PCOS is a very difficult thing to live with, but the medical cases show that weight loss drastically reduces the side effects and in some cases, the PCOS vanishes completely.

Marie also explains, “After being blessed with many successes throughout my life, I am finally ready to focus on the one failure that has held me back from completely loving the woman I am. I hope to gain self-confidence and love myself inside and out so that I can be the woman – and hopefully, the mother – I’ve always dreamed of being.”

Marie is certainly determined, and wanting to have a child seems to be one of the strongest motivations for women trying to get healthy and lose weight. Will you guys be rooting for Marie? Let us know in the comments. For more biggest loser news, CLICK HERE.